Ray Wilkins, 62, tonight suffered suspected heart attack. (Mirror)

Get well soon, fella.

Wilkins’ wife Jackie said: “He is not in a good state at all, I’m afraid. He’s critically ill.

“The cardiac arrest led to a fall which has meant he’s had to be put in an induced coma. It’s very, very bad.”

Wilkins was rushed to hospital on Wednesday after collapsing at home.

Sad news. He has a poor medical history over the past few years though,

The cardiac arrest led to a fall in which he hit his head. Not looking very good at the moment.

hope he pulls through if this is correct, same feelings for anyone in this situation. awful set of circumstances.

Cracking footballer

I’ve just read this as we’ve been without any power for fourteen hours and had no access to news or internet. Extremely sad and upsetting. Hope he pulls through.

Comes accross very well on the radio and seems like a genuinely decent bloke. Hope he makes a good recovery.

He is a wonderful pundit to listen to-always knowledgeable about the topic/team or player. He has said many kind words about how BFC are set up. Lets pray he recovers

Very sad

I’ve read/heard multiple tales of how nice a bloke he is who always had time to speak to any of the staff or kids at Chelsea’s training ground.

Enjoyed listening to his punditry as well as he is one of those who could get across his point and explain things in a way hat you didn’t need to have seen them to understand

Best wishes to a superb footballer and thank you for this goal.

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I’m so saddened to hear this news, he always struck me as being a decent chap and a good pundit. Get well soon Ray.

Good luck Butch - get well soon

Wonderful player & a true gent

Good luck and get well soon Butch.

Bloody hell. This news is as shocking as everyone on here agreeing about someone.

I served with a lad who was going out with one of his family members and he told me what a lovely man he was.

Great pundit, I have to say. Never tire of listening to him explain the game.

Get well soon butch.

The Jimmy Armfield of his generation as far as punditry goes

Had problems with drink has he not?

A great footballer. Lost the England captaincy to Bryan Robson only because he broke a leg in a cup tie playing for Man. Utd. at Bournemouth. I always thought that he might have had more success as a manager, especially the way he assisted at Chelsea a few years ago. I hope that he can still make a complete recovery. He is a tough guy.

If he had a cardiac arrest rather than a heart attack he's lucky to still be alive. Fingers crossed he will pull through.

He has a non footballing brother called Trevor. Sat next to me once along with the oxo man (TV commercial) at a Burnley v Fulham game, seemed like a nice fella. At that time Ray was the Fulham manager

taio wrote:If he had a cardiac arrest rather than a heart attack he's lucky to still be alive. Fingers crossed he will pull through.

Yes, heart attack resulting in cardiac arrest plus a fall and banging his head - it's a tough situation.

I was in St George's after heart attack 2 years ago. I met another guy on the ward told me he'd "died a few days ago." Paramedics had pronounced him dead, but then got his heart going again. He was "full of life" when I spoke with him, waiting for whatever heart op he now needed. And, this was his second time, his first heart attack was 10 years earlier.

St George's cardiology is one of the very best. Ray Wilkins will get the best care available, as everyone else does who goes there.

Top Claret wrote:He has a non footballing brother called Trevor. Sat next to me once along with the oxo man (TV commercial) at a Burnley v Fulham game, seemed like a nice fella. At that time Ray was the Fulham manager

Brothers Graham and Dean played professionally too. Always enjoyed Ray Wilkins on Italian football back in the 90's. Very relaxed yet informative style. Bit like how he played. Hope he can get through this.

Paul Waine wrote:Yes, heart attack resulting in cardiac arrest plus a fall and banging his head - it's a tough situation.

I was in St George's after heart attack 2 years ago. I met another guy on the ward told me he'd "died a few days ago." Paramedics had pronounced him dead, but then got his heart going again. He was "full of life" when I spoke with him, waiting for whatever heart op he now needed. And, this was his second time, his first heart attack was 10 years earlier.

St George's cardiology is one of the very best. Ray Wilkins will get the best care available, as everyone else does who goes there.

Chances of surviving a cardiac arrest outside of hospital (and even then a person's chances of surviving are low) are extremely low.

One of the nicer men in the game,good luck Butch,get well soon.

taio wrote:Chances of surviving a cardiac arrest outside of hospital (and even then a person's chances of surviving are low) are extremely low.

Quotes from British Heart Foundation website:

Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation said: “If you have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, your chances of survival improve if you are taken to a specialist heart centre. This isn’t the first time that research has pointed towards paramedics bypassing local hospitals and heading to one of the UK’s specialist heart centres. Paramedics make these specialised hospitals the first point of call, providing they are within a reasonable distance.

“The emergency services respond to more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK every year, but sadly less than one in ten people survive. If you see someone who has suddenly collapsed and is unresponsive, it is vital that you call 999 and start administering CPR without delay to increase their chances of survival.”

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St George's Tooting is one of UK's specialist heart centres.

Paul Waine wrote:Quotes from British Heart Foundation website:

Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation said: “If you have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, your chances of survival improve if you are taken to a specialist heart centre. This isn’t the first time that research has pointed towards paramedics bypassing local hospitals and heading to one of the UK’s specialist heart centres. Paramedics make these specialised hospitals the first point of call, providing they are within a reasonable distance.

“The emergency services respond to more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK every year, but sadly less than one in ten people survive. If you see someone who has suddenly collapsed and is unresponsive, it is vital that you call 999 and start administering CPR without delay to increase their chances of survival.”

http://www.bhf.org.uk/news-from-the-bhf ... rt-centres" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

St George's Tooting is one of UK's specialist heart centres.

There really ought to be a defibrillator in every single community throughout the country.

taio wrote:There really ought to be a defibrillator in every single community throughout the country.

Hi taio, I see many around these days, but the question is how many passers-by will know where they are, what they are and how to use them.

I applaud everyone who has done the first aid training.

Paul Waine wrote:Hi taio, I see many around these days, but the question is how many passers-by will know where they are, what they are and how to use them.

I applaud everyone who has done the first aid training.

They are simple to use. It'd be good if there was one outside a focal point in each community e.g. village post office.

Theres 1 outside co-op in barlick but is in a coded box. God knows how you get it open.

Murger wrote:Theres 1 outside co-op in barlick but is in a coded box. God knows how you get it open.

The ambulance service will give out the code.

taio wrote:They are simple to use. It'd be good if there was one outside a focal point in each community e.g. village post office.

I think it's Germany where it's mandatory for shops to have these available to use.
As a result, the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest in the high street there are way higher than here.
A simple but effective policy.

Paul Waine wrote:Hi taio, I see many around these days, but the question is how many passers-by will know where they are, what they are and how to use them.

I applaud everyone who has done the first aid training.

I have done first aid training which includes defibrillator use. Most actually instruct you via a built in voice what to do. There are simple kits in them as well for shaving hair etc to get proper contact scissors for quickly removing clothes.
Good luck to Wilkins always speaks with calm authority and doesn't seek or need to be controversial.

It would be really positive if a charity like Burnley FC in the Community could partner with the ambulance service and fund say 15 community defibrillators in wards across the town. Would only cost £15k - £20k and would reflect so positively on the club and more importantly save a few lives over the years that followed.

Some really really good ideas on here regarding defibrillators and their numbers, location and life saving propensities... they don’t cost a fortune and how useful are they..?...massively.

hampsteadclaret wrote:Some really really good ideas on here regarding defibrillators and their numbers, location and life saving propensities... they don’t cost a fortune and how useful are they..?...massively.

From British Heart Foundation:

Budget boost for life saving defibrillators
18 March 2015
The Government has announced £1m worth of additional funding to provide defibrillators in public places.

The extra money will be available for the Department of Health to incentivise the purchase of defibrillators for use in public places and provide training for their use.

In the UK there are over 30,000 cardiac arrests outside of hospital – in homes and communities - every year, but less than 1 in 10 survive.

Bystander action – calling 999, performing CPR, and using a public access defibrillator, if one is available, will give someone suffering a cardiac arrest the best possible chance of surviving.

Our Chief Executive Simon Gillespie said: “This welcome investment will help make more defibrillators available in public places.

“But if we’re to transform the UK’s poor cardiac arrest survival rates, we need more people to be trained in CPR. That’s why we are calling for CPR to be a mandatory part of the secondary school curriculum.

“In parts of the world where CPR is taught in schools survival rates are double those in the UK.”

and, another one:

BHF and The FA call on football clubs to install life saving defibrillators
21 August 2017 Steve Johns
Category: BHF Comment

We've teamed up with The Football Association (The FA) to call on grassroots and amateur football clubs in England to help save more lives from cardiac arrests by installing life saving defibrillators.

We have already helped part-fund and place around 600 defibrillators at grassroots clubs across the country and are now inviting applications from clubs operating within the National League System, Women’s Pyramid of Football or Charter Standard Programme for a further 900 available.
Simon Gillespie, our Chief Executive, said: “Sadly there are hundreds of thousands of people in the UK with a faulty gene which puts them at risk of sudden death from a cardiac arrest.

“When someone collapses on the football pitch and their heart stops, the next few seconds are absolutely critical. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation can reduce their chance of survival by ten per cent.

“Defibrillators can be the difference between life and death, which is why we’re urging football clubs across England to apply for this vital equipment and have it nearby in case of an emergency.”

Inherited heart conditions

Lisa Hodgson, FA Medical Education Lead, said: “The FA continues to recognise the importance of providing timely and appropriate emergency first aid following casualties at footballing activities.

“Alongside our partners at the British Heart Foundation and WEL Medical, we are supplementing our CPR training by providing an excellent opportunity to receive equipment that could mean all the difference in a potentially life-threatening situation. I would implore football clubs across the country to apply.”

Research shows that over 90% of sudden cardiac arrests in young athletes happen either during or immediately after exercise and those with an inherited heart condition can be up to three times as likely to suffer a sudden cardiac arrest if they participate in intensive or strenuous exercise.
At least three fatalities occurred during football matches or training this year in England due to cardiac arrest, including former England international Ugo Ehiogu who died whilst working as coach at Tottenham Hotspur FC. A cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart stops pumping blood around their body and to their brain. It causes the person to fall unconscious and stop breathing, or stop breathing normally.

Lancashire County Council has just said it will fund 40 across Lancashire. A good start but it's only about 3 per district - it would be great if the town had many more. Low cost and could make such a difference to a few people and their families.

and the latest on where things stand

Progress in reducing heart attack deaths stalls
22 February 2018 Jennifer Mitchell
Category: Research

Progress in reducing premature deaths (under 75) from coronary heart disease – the leading cause of heart attacks - is slowing to a near standstill, according to our latest figures.

Although there was a small fall in deaths from coronary heart disease in 2016, our research shows that the death rate declined by just 11% between 2012 and 2016, compared to 24% between 2007 and 2011.

434 deaths every week

In 2016 in the UK, 22,615 people died from coronary heart disease before they reached the age of 75 – the equivalent of 434 people every week. In total, more than 66,000 people of all ages lost their lives to the disease, which remains one of the UK’s single biggest killers.
The slow down in progress could soon spell the end of decades of continuous decline in deaths from heart disease unless research is accelerated to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Keeping up the pace of progress

The number of people dying from coronary heart disease has more than halved over the last 30 years, largely thanks to medical breakthroughs such as the introduction of clot-busting drugs and stenting, alongside the substantial fall in smoking rates. However, further research in to areas such as how to stop the furring of the arteries that leads to a heart attack is urgently needed to keep up the pace of progress.
Ensuring that more people with conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol are treated effectively, irrespective of where they live in the UK, could also bring down the number of people who die prematurely from coronary heart disease in the UK each year.

A wake-up call

Describing the importance of research in continuing to reduce the number of premature deaths from heart disease our Chief Executive, Simon Gillespie, said:

“Medical research has helped us make huge strides in saving the lives of people suffering heart attacks in the UK, meaning seven in 10 people now survive. However, we can’t get complacent and think the disease is beaten. Tens of thousands of people die of heart attacks caused by coronary heart disease in the UK each year, with many more living with debilitating conditions like heart failure if they do survive.

“This trend should be a wake-up call for everyone involved in fighting heart disease. To keep up the pace of progress, it’s essential that charities and public bodies work together to provide the best possible care for those at risk of heart disease, and fund the promising areas of research that will save more lives.”

Would be great to show locations of defibrillators on google maps (and other mapping services).

He's always come across as a calm and levelheaded kind of bloke. Hope he pulls through.

Never my favourite footballer but I hope he pulls through and recovers..

Murger wrote:Theres 1 outside co-op in barlick but is in a coded box. God knows how you get it open.

Ring 999 location and number on defib box and you get the code. The important thing is for someone to be pressing down on the breast bone aroumd 100 times/minute ( Vinny Jones does it to the Bee Gees staying alive) before trying to get the defib out of the box.
It is the effective cardiac massage ASAP that saves the person at the road side.
About 7% success rate in the street 14% in hospital

There is a defibrillator on the wall outside Lowerhouse CC. Part funded by the BHF.

It’s wired into the club electric supply in a climate controlled cabinet.

I believe that the access code is the same for every defibrillator in the UK but it’s not publicised to avoid dick heads accessing them and vandalising etc.

All you do is ring 999 and they tell you the code.

Hang on in there, Ray.

Sadly Ray Wilkins has passed away

Loved him on Football Italia

But another one of the ones you remember when you were a kid who has sadly passed away.

Sad news. Great player and a very good pundit.

Awful news! Great player and seemed to be a great bloke too. RIP Butch.

A proper footballer

RIP

Very sad news, only 61, and a good bloke has gone.

As explained above, very difficult to survive a cardiac arrest.. Ray was at home when he got ill and then banged his head as well. RIP.